Second Chances
by press rewind listen again
Summary: He still wouldn't meet her eyes. But that was okay she supposed. She was as afraid as him. AUish because it's based on a lot of what ifs


**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto, I do not own it or make any money off this.

1. He was hovering in the doorway, not moving to enter the tiny apartment any time soon. She searched for his eyes but he seemed to think the floor to be exceedingly fascinating.

Uchiha Sasuke almost appeared unsure – hesitant even. Sakura knew that should he ever gain knowledge of her thoughts in that particular moment he would be highly offended.

Then she shook her head and forced herself to smile. She reminded her self that the man before her had little reason not to be hesitating and that someone had to do _something _about the tension in the air that grew more and more suffocating as seconds passed by.

"You're going to stand there all night?"

There wasn't any sign that he had understood her at first. After another few minutes, ever so achingly slow, he took a couple of steps forward. Thus admitting that now he would be under her 'babysitting' until further notice.

He still wouldn't meet her eyes. But that was okay she supposed. She was as afraid as him.

"So.. uh, well are you hungry? I didn't get around to do my shopping yet- too much work at the hospital, you know. But I think I still have some rice and fish so if that's okay with you?"

"Hn."

What did she expect?

Nothing much really.

"Okay so it's settled then." She thought that maybe she tried too hard because her smile must have appeared to be really fake by now.

If Sasuke noticed he didn't say anything. Then again this was _Sasuke_.

"Come on. You can just leave your stuff here for the moment. The kitchen is that way."

2. Sakura's apartment wasn't big. There was a bedroom, a kitchen, a bath, a small living room and something that couldn't really be called a room for it was too small to lay any claims on that title.

It was however big enough to fit a futon and some stuff in it – so Sakura liked to think of it as a guest room of sorts. It even had a window!

Now it would have to serve as the place where Sasuke was going to sleep.

The pink haired woman sighed when she opened the door to said room and saw the stuffed chaos inside. "I really have to talk to Kiba about this not being some kind of broom closet.", she mumbled.

"Well I'm really sorry but it looks like you have to sleep on the couch tonight. You can put your stuff into the living room for the time being but I guess it will be impossible for anyone to sleep here before I've cleaned up this mess. "

She cursed under her breath and muttered something about idiot Inuzukas all the way to the living room.

Never the talkative one Sasuke opted to simply lift a brow and answer with his favourite word.

"Hn."

3. There were questions between them that neither dared to ask and neither was entirely sure if they wanted them to be answered.

Their talks – in which Sakura usually did the talking and Sasuke gave his occassional 'Hn' – stayed clear of potentially dangerous topics and avoided things that could lead to awkward unspoken questions.

Both of them were carefully dancing around each other unconciously trying to avoid further damage.

Then sometimes Sasuke would indeed speak. But his words were cold or cruel. Designed to hurt and push away.

Sakura knew this. So she didn't let herself be pushed away and ever the patient medic nin she had learned to be over the years, responded with understanding and kindness.

It was those times, too that reminded her the most of what had once been.

Sometimes it would give her hope. In a weird and twisted way. Now that Sasuke was back again team seven could be whole once more.

The loophole in her thinking was that Sasuke had returned too late. For the third essential part of their team was now out of their reach.

Ironic in a way.

4. When Sasuke had woken up at the hospital he had been nothing but a boy if only for a moment.

There wasn't the name Uchiha hovering over his head like the curse it turned out to be for him. There hadn't been any thoughts about revenge nor did the ever present regrets whisper stingingly true past deeds into his ear to drive him to the brink of insanity.

He had just been Sasuke and perhaps everything could be all right again.

Of course such notions were foolish.

Once you had sinned as much as him 'all right' was an impossible goal to obtain.

5. The first few weeks they spent together flew by in a blur.

The questions were still unspoken and answers were only assumptions that did nothing to lessen the heavy tension between them.

Sakura was sitting at her desk to do the ever hated paperwork. But since she had received the mission to look after the returned traitor Uchiha, actively working at the hospital wasn't that much of an option.

Because of said mission however the paperwork didn't seem nearly as bad to her as it usually would.

Actually she was glad to have the distraction.

He was lounging on the couch staring holes into the ceiling and – when he thought she wouldn't notice – doing the same to her back.

It started to wear on her a bit.

"Why?"

The question was so out of the blue that she had to blink. For a moment she wasn't even sure if she had really heard it.

When she looked at him to aks what he meant his gaze was fixed on the window and when she didn't receive any form of reply she turned back to her work.

The silence became too heavy.

"I really hate paperwork. You know?"

She signed a few forms and moved on to the medical file of a patient.

"I prefer the actual work much more. If I had wanted to do paper work I would have taken on a job at the mission office or something like that. Ooh you should have heard Tsunade-sensei when I told her that. She laughed right in my face and gave me another stack to work on."

She sighed. Sometimes she missed her sensei a bit.

"Then why are you doing it?" _Why are you doing this for me? _

Sakura's eyes widened. A soft smile spread over her face.

"Because there are things that need to be done. And I really don't mind it so much

6. Sometimes he has nightmares. She can hear him tossing and turning at night. Crying out for people who won't be there. It is hard to watch.

Sometimes she's standing just outside of his door, unsure if she should go in and comfort him.

She doesn't think he would take it too well.

Or perhaps it is what he really needs.

Sakura is determined and strong and good with people. When it comes to her former team-mate she isn't sure how to proceed.

Hesitating she turns around to go back to her bed room. When she catches sight of the simple calender on the wall she is unable to stop the smile.

Today is the day Kiba should return from his mission.

She isn't sure how he will take Sasuke living with them but there is a sense of relieve in the knowledge that there will be someone who can lift up the depressing tension that – even after two months of slowly regaining some sort of friendly relationship – hangs over their heads like a rain cloud..

In a way it will be like the time when the Hokage was still a loud and obnoxious brat.

Inner Sakura kicks her for even thinking about Kiba as if he was some kind of replacement.

7. In a way things will certainly become interesting if nothing else.

8. "I killed them you know."

Sakura looks up and doesn't know how to reply. It's the first time he does meet her eyes. But she can't read what she sees in his.

She doesn't want to know but she can sense he needs to talk about it.

He only talks when Kiba is away.

"Who?"

"Too many."

"Sometimes you have to. We're shinobi."

"What if you didn't kill because you were ordered too?"

Unconciously he reaches up to the place where she knows his curse seal is located. It's also the place where her seal to suppres his chakra is.

I_'m a monster, Sakura. Don't you know that? _

"Perhaps it was necessary at the time. And if one does regret it it doesn't make it alright but it makes it forgiveable.

You also killed the bad guys didn't you? Otherwise they would have executed you."

"It's the excuse they used."

_They couldn't have afforded to throw away the last Uchiha, Konoha can't just throw away a weapon like the sharingan._

"Don't. Naruto would never –"

"No not Naruto but the Hokage."

When Sakura opens her mouth to tell him he is wrong she can't. Because regardless of how much she doesn't want it to be it is the truth.

In the cold light of reality Naruto would never – but he is the Hokage now and as such he already has.

"It's not only the Hokage's decision. The council had a big part in it too. " and after a moment of silence.

"Perhaps we should go to Ichiraku's sometime just the three of us, like we used to…"

The Uchiha nods.

"I would like that."

Sakura smiles but on the inside she knows that it probably won't happen anytime soon.

Even if she wants to believe, Sasuke is right. Naruto isn't only Naruto anymore.

9. Sakura likes to think that this is the beginning of a second chance.

She knows chances are rare so you have to hold on to them and work hard in order to make them work if they come your way.

Nononononononononon

(Edited 08/01/2010: fixed some spelling and formulation errors)


End file.
